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Rowdies high on team chemistry

 
FEBRUARY 20, 2015: Photo by Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies
FEBRUARY 20, 2015: Photo by Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies
Published April 11, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — Spring training for Major League Baseball is useful, but my how the doldrums kick in after a couple of weeks. Week 4 of the NFL preseason? Virtually unwatchable.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have all of that beat. By their own doing, the Rowdies went through a nine-game preseason slate that started with a match Feb. 10, saw them head to Portugal for four games and wrapped more than six weeks later.

Totally worth it.

During that time the collection of mostly new faces bonded, and their togetherness was on full display in a 3-1 win at defending champ San Antonio to start the season. The Rowdies hope to show their home fans more evidence tonight in the first game at a refurbished Al Lang. Kickoff is 7:30 against Minnesota, which had the NASL's best regular-season record in 2014.

"You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't have that chemistry, it means nothing," said assistant general manager Perry Van Der Beck, who along with new coach Thomas Rongen had a big hand in piecing together the improved roster, a mix of welcoming veterans and promising youth.

Rongen sought players with good character and a willingness to do community work. And they're pretty good on the field, too. Tampa Bay went 7-2-2 in the preseason, including 2-1-1 across the formative 10-day stay in Portugal.

Young players like Darwin Espinal, the 19-year-old who had a goal in the opener, and Zac Portillos, 23, were able to ingratiate themselves.

"This is the most energetic locker room I've been around, and I've been around a few," Rongen said.

Friendships came fast, like the one between Georgi Hristov and Stefan Antonijevic. Their symbiosis directly led to the team's first goal of the season, an oft-practiced corner kick Hristov sent right onto the head of the 6-foot-6 Antonijevic.

USF product Zak Boggs, who spent three seasons in the MLS, said it's the best bunch he has been a part of.

"The Portugal trip, first of all just having the opportunity to do that was incredible," Boggs said. "But you noticed the group really getting close. And everyone is very genuine."

The long preseason also gave Rongen plenty of time to figure out which onfield groups work best together, and the defensive unit of Antonijevic, Darnell King, Tam Mkandawire and Portillos was very strong against a dangerous Scorpions side.

Offensively, the Rowdies kept up the pressure but had just five real scoring chances, converting on three. Great ratio, Rongen points out, but not a realistic one. He'd like to see even more creativity tonight — "creative" and "aggressive" were the buzzwords he used in a recent address to season-ticket holders.

The Rowdies might have been a little too much of the latter, committing six yellow cards against San Antonio.

"Some of them were unwarranted, but that's what's going to happen on the road. I don't want to play less aggressive, because that's party of our makeup mentally and physically. I'm not going to rein them in at all," Rongen said.

Rongen called tonight's opponent, Minnesota, the best team in the league. It should create an entertaining matchup before what could be a sold-out Al Lang.

Tonight

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Rowdies vs. Minnesota

When/where: 7:30; Al Lang Field

TV: Ch. 38